i built a green blob that lives on my desktop. now it has feelings.

Description and use

Mochi is a lightweight Linux desktop companion that remembers interactions, reacts to contextual activity, and offers a gentle Pomodoro timer without cloud services or intrusive notifications.

Problem

Creating a lightweight, privacy‑respecting desktop companion that feels alive and useful without becoming a productivity burden.

Outcome

Mochi evolved from a simple animated blob into a persistent, context‑aware desktop companion that offers gentle productivity support without demanding maintenance, demonstrating how thoughtful design can balance engagement and privacy.

Workflow

• 1. Implement basic movement and idle animations using Python, GTK4, PyGObject, and Cairo.
• 2. Add a state machine to manage animations and interactions, preventing timer conflicts.
• 3. Introduce a persistent bond system that records interaction history across sessions.
• 4. Build an emote catalogue and integrate it with the state machine for coherent reactions.
• 5. Add context awareness by mapping desktop activity (terminal, typing, media) to semantic signals.
• 6. Implement a Focus with Mochi Pomodoro timer that contributes to bond during work periods.
• 7. Refine UI to avoid intrusive windows, handle Wayland/XWayland, and clean up on shutdown.

Evidence

Mochi started as a pixel‑art desktop companion for Linux.

Source

v0.3 introduces persistent bond progression.

Source

Focus with Mochi is my first experiment in making the companion genuinely useful without turning him into another productivity dashboard.

Source